


The Wretched and Divine

by thecumberbinch



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Fairy Tale Elements, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Magical Realism, Monsters, Stag Hannibal Lecter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:47:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecumberbinch/pseuds/thecumberbinch
Summary: Will Graham believes in monsters. Others think he is mad. What if he is right?
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Kudos: 6





	The Wretched and Divine

**Author's Note:**

> very sketchy work in progress. tags, summary, ratings, perhaps the title will change as this forms itself better in my head. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was well known throughout the town of Chesapeake that one did not enter the forest. The townspeople themselves had nothing against natural environments, but there was an evil sort of presence in that particular stretch of wood which held such an ineffable energy that could only be described as unsettlingly foreboding. The angles at which the roots stuck out from the earth were severe enough they appeared as if they could cut, the shadows too dark and slightly longer than a reasonable person would expect. The trees themselves, even were only to be described as looming presence. The most noticeable trait of these woods, however, was the silence. Where other biomes would be teeming with the lives of various woodland creatures, these woods seemed to lack any at all. There were no birds to sing, no deer to graze, no squirrels to climb. Despite this fact, however, all who passed the tree line could not help but feel that they were being watched by _something_ , a feeling so nauseating that it almost seemed like a warning, as those who progressed beyond the first few firs had not returned despite having no desire to leave the town. As was expected, none endeavored to find out where those missing few had ended up. There had not been another one of those brave souls in many years. But of course, there was always another wishing to take on the challenge this assumedly cursed forest presented.

Will had, as many children did, grew up hearing stories. Folklore and fairytales detailing the plight of mortals and the battles of gods and monsters. These tales were entertaining as children, and provided them with the fuel to compose their own stories at the discretion of their imaginations, but it was Will’s that tended to be so incredibly meticulous that he frightened those around him with these thoughts, particularly on his insistence that they were real. Will diverged from his peers in many ways; a solitary man who occupied his time with machinery and collecting strays, his habits so erratic that many believed him to be an insomniac. Many believed him to have some sort of second sight; he could reveal any stranger’s deepest and most intimate secrets just from a glance. He did not go to church, and it appeared to his neighbors that he didn’t seem to have any strong beliefs whatsoever. This is one assumption in which they are incorrect: Will holds one strong belief, not in religion or philosophy, but in the idea that monsters are real, and if anything, that wretched forest held some corroboration to that statement. When it was revealed to the townspeople that Will would be the first to attempt an exploration of this wood in generations, it was their consensus that the man had finally gone mad. They were not surprised.

They were surprised, however, when Will disappeared into the forest that morning and came _back_.


End file.
